Lessons of the World
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Lesson Three- Fate640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKnU8RmqjC
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Deep in the heart of the mysterious, wooded, and highly misunderstood landmass ps Mississippi, tucked between the alligator bayous of Louisiana and the hillbilly foothills of Alabama, a young apprentice, under the watchful gaze of his ancient sensei, was standing knee deep in a freezing creek.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf9475TWWgT
Joseph’s numb fingers curled around a small river stone, and he pulled it out of the water for closer inspection. The stone was perfectly smooth and nearly spherical in shape. Not a single scratch or scuff mark marred it's smoky gray coat. Finally he had found a stone that would suit his sensei’s specifications. Not one to disappoint, Joseph pulled on his sandals and dashed off in the direction of their small camp.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrMwOjjcq7
“Sensei! Sensei! Look!” exclaimed Joseph, proudly showing off his newest find. “I found it, sensei! The stone you needed!”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsjsjeSXRm
Ancient Wen, Joseph’s longtime teacher, looked up from his tea catalogue and watched his young, giddy apprentice skittering through the woods. The old man perked up immediately as he heard Joseph’s shouts. It had been awhile since he had sent Joseph away on this little task. Wen had begun to wonder if the boy had drowned or got lost or got eaten by a bear…640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXMJ4UQxRwt
He held out one wrinkled hand. “Really, young Joseph? Let me see it please. I'll be the judge to see if it suits me.”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGKU4x7mBZ
Joseph skidded to a halt and handed over the stone, eagerness flowing out of him like bubbles from a witch’s cauldron. Wen eyed the stone, rolled it around in hands a few times, a tossed it up into the air.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLWJ2Tb8ee
Ancient Wen motioned for Joseph to take a seat beside him. A gentle breeze hummed its way through the pine woods and whipped around the tea catalogue’s pages. Wen fixed the book and put the stone down on the pages to keep his place.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnSZvIKhYWr
“So, young Joseph, are you ready for you Third Life Lesson?” asked Ancient Wen.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8oXVzzZrzV
Joseph nodded vigorously. “Yes, sensei.”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHvVMlhZxjY
“Good answer,” replied Ancient Wen. “Today’s lesson will wrap up the first set of teachings. So far you have successfully learned about and tested both Chance and Luck. Today’s lesson will be dealing with Fate, the older sibling to Chance and Luck.”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMpypGsQNqw
“Fate?” repeated Joseph. “Like the dead set path of a person’s life?”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrkhRkJRkR
Ancient Wen nodded. He glanced at the tea catalogue. “Red Lemon Tea sounds good for today, young Joseph. We must head to town to get some.” He looked back at Joseph. “Anyway, on with the lesson. Yes. That is the face value explanation of Fate, but it could go further. While luck is the individual’s power and Chance is the probability, Fate is the individual’s future. However, it is not exactly set in stone as you think. Think of it more like a man who just walks randomly down a road: You never know where he is gonna go. Fate is the same way. Chance affects which turns you take, and with a little bit of Luck, you can influence your Fate. Do you understand now, young Joseph?”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8oSZTZJyZ
Joseph rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. He guessed he had forgotten how to blink during his sensei’s explanation. “I… think I do, sensei,” Joseph replied slowly.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQM26WffbIN
“I'm sure you don't, young Joseph,” Ancient Wen replied. He picked up the stone from his book. “To better understand Fate, you will have to test it, and in order to test it you must snatch this stone from my hand. If you can, then it was-!”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwebiCPRnQG
“You mean this stone, sensei?” Joseph asked, holding the gray stone between his thumb and forefinger.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWB6QL3oQ1h
Ancient Wen stared in wondered bewilderment at his empty hand then back to his smirking apprentice. He began to chuckle quietly and soon he was shaking with belly-rolling guffaws.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFKwC9aP5b
Joseph joined in the mirth. He patted his sensei a few times gently on the back. “Guess it was written in my Fate after all, sensei. Better luck next time, eh?”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyfBsqK7Ol
Ancient Wen lashed out, catching Joseph a smarting blow to the back of the head. All sense of merriment was gone from him as he began to reprimand his impudent apprentice. “Let me finish my very important explanations about the Life Lesson first, young Joseph! Something could have gone incredibly wrong if you had screwed up.”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBi6MqREBVd
“Yes, sensei,” Joseph muttered apologetically.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1sSl1aCIA
There was a snort beside him. Joseph looked up to see Wen holding a hand to his mouth, failing to keep the laughs from escaping. “What's so funny, sensei?” asked Joseph. He had just screwed something up. This was no time for laughter.640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIazmuA8Mit
“You should have seen your face, young Joseph!” replied Ancient Wen. “There was no harm done by you jumping the gun. To tell you the truth, I read your Fate earlier this morning, and the most anticipated path was for you to fail. So that means you have high amounts of Luck. Good job, young Joseph.”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPS3JLRVrDL
“Really?” asked Joseph, relieved but still slightly nervous. “What would have happened if I failed?”640Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGLYufOQat9
“I would have killed you,” replied Ancient Wen as he began to thumb through the tea catalogue. “I don't teach failures.”
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